Taming The Tiger

23. A Simple Lunch...

Hu Jing Yao couldn't sleep. Again.

Tossing and turning... tossing and turning... until the sunlight penetrated from the window irritably.

It had been a week since Jing Yong visited him in his office, yet Hu Jing Yao still couldn't find an opportunity to talk with Yu Hua. Well, it wasn't that he didn't try. He visited the set two times, excusing to observe how it was going, but at both times, Yu Hua ignored him altogether, not even sparing him a glance. His audacity irked the CEO and tempted him to send him a message, calling him to his suit, to his feet. Hu Jing Yao had the upper hand, maybe Yu Hua needed a reminder for it.

Still, although the CEO grabbed his phone several times with resolution in his mind, his hand refused to type the message. Maybe it was because of the knowledge that he was the one at fault or because of the lustreless eyes of Yu Hua... he wasn't sure.

"I am losing my mind!" the angry CEO dropped the file which he was holding for an hour without reading a sentence to the table and rubbed his temples. He didn't even notice when he came to the office, let alone holding that file for so long.

He checked his phone and saw it was already lunch time. Maybe he could give it another chance to meet Yu Hua to solve this tasteless situation.

While his car was moving steadily towards the set, another malicious plan was taking place on the destination.

"My dear actors, this director brought you lunch," Mr. Lin announced blithely as he shook the bags in his hands.

Yu Hua took a brief glance towards the director and turned around to go back to the dressing room.

"Yu Hua, come here, where are you going?" the director called out to him and the other frowned. There was no way the director also bought one for him... right?

Seeing him rooted on his spot, Mr. Lin rushed to him and dragged him towards the portable table where Dan Li, Na Na and Lu Mei were already sitting around. Too bad, Jing Yong didn't have any scenes that day, so Yu Hua was alone with the snake pack.

Helpless, Yu Hua took his place next to Lu Mei on the left and the director claimed the head of the table. With a huge grin, he started to fish out the bento boxes out of the bags. He gave one to each, but when it was Yu Hua's turn, he was empty-handed.

"Oh damn, I counted wrong," Mr. Lin lied blatantly and Yu Hua didn't even surprise.

Of course counting five people is too difficult, he mocked the director inwardly while saying "it is okay I am not hungry yet." He attempted to rise to his feet to leave, but Mr. Lin wasn't done with his plan.

"Sit down please, I want to talk about the drama."

Biting his inner lip with irritation, Yu Hua sat back and watched the others eat happily. As he expected, the thing Mr. Lin wanted to talk about was nothing important, it was just to keep Yu Hua there, showing him that he would never be welcomed.

Yu Hua didn't even get sad anymore, he was born to suffer.

The vibration of his phone broke Yu Hua's reverie. Slowly he took it out from his pocket and froze seeing the caller. Although he waited for the call, he couldn't help but panic. What if the CEO wanted to cut him off from the drama?

He rose to his jelly feet and walked a bit farther than the torturous table. Covering one hand to his mouth, he answered the phone.

"Mr. Hu?"

"What are you doing?"

"Eating with my co-workers," Yu Hua lied with a shaky tone. How could he know that the CEO was watching him from his car with a murderous look on his face?

"Go back to the dressing room and wait for me," Hu Jing Yao ordered and ended the call. He was brimming with anger, seeing the dirty play took place under the tent. Apparently, his silence encouraged the director to keep torturing the poor actor. The guilt he felt ten folded and he blamed himself for the misery Yu Hua was suffering. Quickly, he ordered his driver to grab two lunch boxes and bring them to the dressing room, then he walked to the dressing room after seeing Yu Hua walking there.

"Mr. Hu," Yu Hua greeted the CEO politely yet coldly. His hands were clenched in front of him as if he was waiting for his verdict.

Hu Jing Yao returned his greeting with a bow and dragged a chair in front of the portable table before sitting on it elegantly.

Not knowing what to do, Yu Hua continued to stand, his eyes on the floor.

"Sit down," the CEO gestured at the other chair and the actor sat down timidly. Hu Jing Yao tried his best not to notice, but Yu Hua's sombre demeanour was too obvious to miss.

After a few minutes of silence, there was a knock on the door and the driver handed two small boxes to his boss before excusing himself.

"Here," the CEO pushed one box across the table.

Seeing it was a bento box, Yu Hua pushed the box farther, "I already ate with my co-actors," he lied, hoping his stomach wouldn't decide to protest at that moment.

"Really?" Hu Jing Yao raised his eyebrows suspiciously and opened the lid of his own bento, "eat again then, I came all the way to eat with you."

Yu Hua's mouth fell to the floor with shock as he wondered if he heard the man right. He looked at him intently to see a sign of mocking, but the CEO seemed very serious. He didn't even touch the food, just staring at him with the chopsticks dangling in between his long fingers.

Averting his gaze, Yu Hua pulled back the bento box and started to eat slowly. From his peripheral vision, he saw the CEO moving his chopsticks too. It was a simple chicken-noodle lunch, but for Yu Hua it meant so much more. Although the CEO was quite sharp-tongued, at his table, Yu Hua wasn't ignored, on the contrary, he felt cherished.